First e-tickets rolling out

On Wednesday, something pretty neat happened in the world of traffic tickets here at KCPD: we issued our first E-ticket. At 7:44 a.m. July 26, a woman was issued an e-ticket for going 65 mph in a 45 mph zone on 71 Highway near Truman Road. While she likely wasn’t very excited about the ticket, it was a big day for us.

We’ve been working toward e-ticketing for some time now. I first told you about it in February. This eliminates triplicate-paper citations and automatically transfers citation information to Municipal Court. The whole system is scheduled to go live Aug. 29. When it does, violators should be able to pay their fines online within 24 hours of getting their citation. This will clear up a lot of paperwork between the Police Department and Municipal Court and really streamline the process.

We’re in a one-week test period of the e-ticketing system now. Four traffic enforcement officers were selected to try out the hand-held devices that print receipt-like tickets for violators. In a 24-hour period from Tuesday to Wednesday, July 26 to 27, they’d issued 68 e-tickets. We’re using this week to identify any bugs with the system and test the officers’ learning curve. When they first started, the test officers took about 12 minutes to issue an e-ticket. But amazingly, within 24 hours they’d already returned to close to their normal traffic-stop time of about 5 minutes.

We’re planning a “soft rollout” of the e-ticketing equipment the week of Aug. 22. All patrol officers should have the devices by then and get hands-on experience using them. We’ll also make sure information is being properly transmitted to the court.

Then on Aug. 29, Kansas City drivers disobeying the law can count on getting a new-fangled e-ticket and a much more convenient process to pay their fines.



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Man charged in Waldo attacks and sexual assault

The Jackson County Prosecutor today filed charges against 23-year-old James D. Kemp in the sexual assault of a woman on the Trolley Trail in June and an attack on a woman at a car wash near the trail a week and a half ago. We released a composite sketch last week of a possible suspect.

Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker today praised the work of KCPD's detectives and Crime Lab personnel on identifying and apprehending this suspect, especially given that the Waldo-area neighborhood already had lost much of their sense of security in previous attacks by a different serial rapist in 2009 and 2010.

The suspect arrested today lived and worked in the Waldo area. DNA and fingerprints linked him to the two latest attacks. In each instance, he wore all black clothes and a black ski mask, threatened the victims with a knife, bound them with duct tape and told them to shut up or he would kill them.

According to the probable cause statement, Kemp initially denied any involvement in the attacks, but he then confessed to both of them when confronted with the DNA and fingerprint evidence.

Congratulations to the officers, detectives, crime scene investigators and crime lab analysts who got this dangerous man off the streets and increased the sense of security for those who use the popular Trolley Trail. James Kemp is being held on a $250,000 cash-only bond.

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Operation HAY (Horses and Youth)

For several years now, our Mounted Patrol Section has done an amazing job reaching out to inner-city children in a program we like to call Operation HAY - Horses and Youth. We posted several pictures on KCPD's Facebook page of the group that came out last Tuesday.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, children ages 7 to 18 who participate in the City's day camp programs through Kansas City Parks and Recreation come out to Mounted Patrol's stables in the Lake of the Woods area of Swope Park. The Mounted Patrol officers teach them all about horses and many aspects of horsemanship, such as how safely approach, care for, clean and outfit a horse. Every child also gets the chance to ride the horses.

Many of these children are from the urban core and have never before even been near a horse. Some are even scared of these gentle giants (KCPD horses must meet a certain height requirement - all are donated by area horse lovers), and the officers try to ease their fears. There is very little about policework discussed: it's true horsemanship training. Check out the pictures of the latest intrepid learners/riders!

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Police release sketch of Waldo-area robber

PRESS RELEASE:

UPDATE: We forgot to mention earlier that the suspect's ski mask came off during the course of the attack, and the victim was able to get a good look at his face.
________________________________________________

Kansas City Police have released a composite sketch of a man who attacked and robbed a woman at 80th and Wornall on Sunday morning.

A 20-year-old Kansas City woman had stopped at a car wash at about 6 a.m. July 19. She was sitting in the driver’s seat of her car with the door open, preparing to vacuum her vehicle. Suddenly, a man wearing a black ski mask and black shirt and pants appeared and forcefully pushed her into the passenger seat, slamming her head on the dashboard. The suspect held a knife to her head and told her he would kill her if she tried to run. He took $45 from her purse and ran from the scene.

The victim worked with a forensic sketch artist and detectives to produce this sketch. She described the suspect as a white male about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 150 to 160 pounds. He had brown hair and appeared to be about 24 years old.

Police urge anyone with information about the suspect to come forward by calling police or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Please note: A composite is not a portrait of one person, but a grouping of characteristics to put people into a category that narrows the search and eliminates other groups. It is intended to place the focus on a smaller grouping of individuals.

KCPD Crime Lab is first in nation approved to use "expert system" in DNA analysis in cases

The FBI has approved the Kansas City Regional Crime Lab as the first municipal lab in the nation to use an "Expert System" for the review of known DNA samples. Essentially, an expert system eliminates the need for an additional person to review technical data involved with analyzing DNA. The computer system does it instead. The hope is that this will dramatically reduce the lab's DNA backlog. We received the formal approval from the FBI last month and will go live with the system in the next month or two. To date, only state-wide crime laboratories used this technology to assist in analyzing already-convicted offenders.

Kansas City will be the first to use expert systems on known DNA reference samples in active cases. For example, if DNA is found in a home that has been burglarized, the known sample would come from the home's residents, whose DNA would of course be on items throughout the house. The unknown sample would come from the burglar. We used known DNA samples to eliminate many suspects in the 2009-10 serial rapes in the Waldo area.

Our crime lab gets 2,000 to 3,000 known DNA samples every year. And as we continue to train officers and detectives to take DNA samples in things like property crimes, those will only increase. The good news is, this new expert system will allow our Crime Lab's DNA analysts to keep up with them all.

The Kansas City Regional Crime Lab received a grant from the National Institutes of Justice to explore ways to increase efficiency in DNA laboratories in new and innovative ways. The expert system was the result. Our scientists have worked a long time to thoroughly evaluate the efficacy and accuracy of the system, and we have utmost confidence in its work. The analysts are excited to put it to use, reduce the backlog and ultimately get cases solved and justice delivered more quickly.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

City, police are here to help in heat

As the heat wave continues, I just wanted to let you know that police are here to help in events like this. If you are concerned about a friend, neighbor or relative without access to air conditioning who you have been unable to reach, especially an elderly one, call 911, and we can check on their welfare.

The City also announced today that residents seeking relief from the heat can call the City’s 3-1-1 Action Center to request transportation to one of the City-provided cooling centers. The 3-1-1 Action Center can be reached by dialing 311 or 816-513-1313. This transportation service is provided by Kansas City Fire Department personnel.

Here's a complete list of Kansas City's cooling centers. If you're outside of Kansas City, Mo., call United Way by dialing 211 or 816-474-5112 for a complete list of community centers and hours of operation.

In their wool-blend uniforms and bullet-resistant vests, police are struggling through the heat, as well. KMBZ has an interesting piece on how our helicopter officers are faring. (Our helicopters don't have air conditioning.) We're giving our officers the same advice that everyone should heed in these extreme temperatures: don't overdo it, keep hydrated, and stay in a cool place as much as possible.  

We also all know how dangerous this kind of heat can be for any person or animal left in a car. In case you were worried, all cars assigned to our Canine Section are equipped with "hot dog" systems to keep the dogs inside cool while their officer partners are out of the vehicle.

Kansas City residents always step up in times of crisis, and we ask that you do the same during this deadly heat wave (the Jackson County Health Department has reported 10 heat-related deaths so far this year). Keep an eye on your frail friends and family during this time, and if you or someone you know needs a break from the heat, get to a cooling center.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

International Association of Chiefs of Police recognizes KCPD's social media approach

I'm very pleased that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has recognized KCPD for our use of social media. We are the featured agency on their page right now, http://www.iacpsocialmedia.org/. IACP lauded us for using different social media platforms for different purposes. This was very intentional.

It all started here on this blog, which we use as a way to really tell our story without the filter of the media. I can tell you about heroic officers, crime trends, success stories and our view of local events and news stories. Next came Twitter, which we use to get short and timely news and information alerts out. Then was our YouTube channel, which we have used for everything from seeking suspects in surveillance videos to public service announcements to scary moments caught on dashcams to some just plain fun stuff. The latest edition was the KCPD Facebook page last fall. It's a fan page where you get to hear all the good news about the department and see the fun and positive things we do in the community. Once in a while you'll see the same message on these different platforms, but for the most part, they each serve their own purpose, and we appreciate the IACP recognizing that as a solid approach.

The point of all our social media has been and always will be to better connect with the people we serve. We hope it's a way to make police more approachable and accessible and to keep you informed of what's going on in your community. If you're not a friend or a follower, please become one! You'll learn a lot about your police department, and we hope it helps us learn more about you.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Painful memories of Hyatt collapse haunt police 30 years later

Sunday, July 17, marks the 30th anniversary of the Kansas City Hyatt skywalks collapse, which killed 114 people and went down as the worst structural disaster in American history. I had been on the police department just two years on that day in 1981 and had been working a special property crimes assignment the week before, so it was my day off. I was spared seeing the carnage of that night, but many of my fellow officers who responded will never, ever forget that day. Our department newsletter, the Informant, published a story in August 2009 when plans for a memorial were announced. I've pasted that below. Long-retired officers - many known as consumate tough guys - broke into tears when they recalled that night. After the newsletter was mailed out to retirees, several called the department, just wanting to talk about their experiences and how the Hyatte collapse haunts them still.

The story below originally was published in August 2009. Some photos taken by police and crime scene technicians at the scene in 1981 are at the bottom. Only a few of our cameras took color pictures at that time. Some of these photos were taken the night of the disaster, and some the day after. You can click on any of them to see a larger version.

It was just after 7 p.m. July 17 when two KCPD cars were dispatched on an ambulance/medical call to the new Hyatt Regency Hotel. Then-Officer Gary Thurman, now a Captain, was only blocks away and one of the first to arrive. He had just finished his rookie year, and nothing could prepare him for what was to transpire over the course of the next few hours.

The Hyatt was hosting a Tea Dance, and the walkways were filled with revelers watching the dance floor below. In an instant, their lives and so many others were changed forever. It was 1981 – before major American terrorist attacks like those in Oklahoma City and Sept. 11, 2001 – and Kansas City was immersed in a disaster at a scale no one could imagine. Even now, 28 years later, the collapse of the three skywalks at the Hyatt Regency still stands as the deadliest structural disaster in American history. Plans were announced on the anniversary of the collapse this year to begin construction on a memorial. Kansas City Parks Director Mark McHenry said the memorial wasn’t just for the victims.

“It’s also about the police, firefighters and EMTs – the first responders and all they did to save lives that night,” McHenry said.

The memorial will honor people like Thurman, who said he grabbed a first aid kit and ran to the hotel lobby. Blood had turned the gushing water from broken pipes to maroon. Overhead were sparking wires. And screams, lots of screams.

“I’ve never felt so inadequate in my life,” Thurman said, “What can I do with a little first aid kit?”

Sergeant Tony Sanders was not yet a KCPD employee. He was a 21-year-old paramedic behind the wheel of the first ambulance to arrive.

“It was like a movie,” Sanders said. “As soon as we pulled up outside, injured, bleeding people were grabbing me, asking for help. Here I am, one guy, and there were so many that needed help.”

Officer Barry Mayer (retired 2002) had been on the department for five years. He arrived with the Central Patrol Division Support Unit. He was frozen for a moment when he saw a leg in a pool of red water. It looked like it could be his mother-in-law who had planned to be there that night. His partner, Officer Joe Kern (who retired in 1999 and is now a firearms instructor at the Police Academy), a wounded Vietnam War veteran, said nothing in ‘Nam was as bad as what he saw that night.

Public Affairs Officer Rick McLaughlin (retired 2004) was on call. The dispatcher requested he respond to handle the media on the scene. She told him there were reports of three dead, perhaps three more in the rubble. When he arrived, the 28th body was being pulled from the debris. The count would reach 114. While dealing with the local and national media arriving on the scene, he was asked to remove a reporter who had snuck into the temporary morgue. When McLaughlin reached the reporter, the reporter was bent over vomiting, sickened by the carnage.

Back at headquarters, Robbery Sergeant Joe McHale (retired 2001) and all the detectives on the second floor grabbed reports, cameras and film and headed for the Hyatt. A temporary morgue was established in a ballroom on the south side. The detectives were tagging the bodies, and a card system was established to identify victims. Families were shown Polaroid photos and then escorted to the morgue for a visual confirmation. It was a grisly task for everyone as the majority of the victims were crushed beyond recognition.

Department members channeled their emotions in different ways. One confided he was sleeping 12 hours a night. At first he thought it was exhaustion but later realized it was to escape the images and memories. Some kept it inside for years, never discussing it with family.

“It is a horrible memory, most likely the worst in your life, but you have a bond with those people and you know they are the only ones that understand what you went through,” said Officer Mike Wilson, (retired 2003) .

Now a memorial will be a tangible outlet for those feelings, but it will never supplant the grisly memories of those first-responders.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Get ready to come inside "The Murder Room"

Tickets for the public to our special "Murder Room" event with world-renowned forensic psychologist and criminal profiler Richard Walter are still available. The video below explains more about the event:

Help needed to find missing 84-year-old woman

JULY 18 UPDATE: Sadly, Mary Northcraft was found deceased at about 9:20 a.m. in her car in the Applebee's parking lot at 12461 S. U.S. 71 Highway in Grandview, Mo. Her cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner. Thanks to all of you who helped look for her.

We're very worried about 84-year-old Mary Northcraft, who has been missing since about noon on Monday, July 11. Ms. Northcraft has dementia, and her family is very concerned. We have found no trace of her since she went missing.

Ms. Northcraft is white, 5 feet tall and weighs about 110 pounds. She has gray hair, blue eyes and glasses. She may be driving a silver 2001 Chevy Malibu with Missouri license plate PE9 A9V. She was last seen near her home in the 11400 block of Oak in south Kansas City.

If you've seen her, please call 911 or the KCPD Missing Persons Section at 816-234-5136.

Gun Bounty program already seeing great tips

Some good news: the Gun Bounty Program we announced June 29 already is bringing in solid leads. John Sharp, chair of the Public Safety Committee on the Kansas City Council, reported to the Board of Police Commissioners yesterday that several good tips came in before 5 p.m. the day we had the press conference introducing the program.

Remember, the Gun Bounty Program will pay $1,000 cash anonymously to whomever gives us a tip that leads to a felony weapons charge. This can be anything from a felon possessing a firearm to a stolen gun or one that's serial number has been removed. Tips must be received through the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

The last week has proved how important it is to get these weapons off the streets - from an 11-year-old girl killed by a stray bullet on the Fourth of July to multiple senseless homicides. All died at the hands of firearms. In nearly 86 percent of our 56 homicides year to date, the weapon was a gun. Call TIPS to help get them out of the hands who possess them illegally and walk away with $1,000.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Commonality in most traffic deaths this year: no seat belts

I wrote a week ago about the increase in traffic deaths this year, and we learned this morning about another disturbing trend. Deputy Chief Cy Ritter reported at our Board of Police Commissioners meeting that 79 percent of those killed in crashes in Kansas City so far this year were not wearing seat belts. As of today, Kansas City has had 39 people killed in vehicle crashes in 2011.

Many were single-vehicle crashes in which the driver lost control and left the roadway. About 17 percent were motorcycles. But the greatest commonality in this year's fatalities is the lack of seat belts. According to the Missouri Division of the Federal Highway Administration, Missouri's overall seat belt usage of 77 percent is well below the national average of 84 percent. Seat belt usage among teens in Missouri is just 61 percent. So far this year, youth aged 10 to 19 have comprised 17 percent of Kansas City's fatalities. About 41 percent of those who have died in crashes this year have been ejected from their vehicles. Ejection is something a seat belt almost always can prevent.

I've only addressed fatalities so far. I haven't even mentioned the egregious injuries that can occur without seat belts - the paralysis, the broken bones and head injuries. There's a 1 in 3 chance of being injured in a traffic crash if you're not wearing a seat belt and only a 1 in 8 chance of being injured if you are, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

Similarly, there is a 1 in 29 chance of being killed in a traffic crash without wearing a seat belt while just a 1 in 1,322 chance if you are wearing a belt. Those are far, far better odds.

It may be cliche, but seat belts really do save lives, and we should be saving more of them here in Kansas City.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

New ordinance will help prevent crime on vacant property

I'm pretty excited to report about a new ordinance passed by the City Council that now is in effect. We wrote about it in our May Informant newsletter, and I've pasted that article below. In short, police were having a horrible time getting cases prosecuted on those who stole from and vandalized vacant homes. Many had been foreclosed on, and the banks that owned them refused to act as victims and prosecute. The new ordinance essentially makes Kansas City the victim, and it will allow us to punish those who destroy neighborhoods. Click to read the new ordinance.

Here's the Informant article explaining why this was so needed:

While there is no official “victim” to sign a complaint when vacant houses are burglarized or damaged, Officer Jason Cooley said neighborhoods are what suffers.

“An out-of-state bank or owner has no investment in the community,” Officer Jason Cooley of the East Patrol Division said. “They’re not going to come here as the victim for a charge in city court. Meanwhile, neighborhoods are suffering, crime rates are sky-rocketing and property values are declining.”

Officer Cooley is working with officials in the City’s Neighborhood and Community Services Division to create an ordinance that would charge those who burglarize and vandalize vacant properties. Right now, police can watch someone tear out and steal copper from a vacant home, and the person will serve no jail time if the home’s owner cannot be contacted. About 45 percent of burglaries throughout the city occur in vacant properties.

“In order for us to charge someone, we have to prove a crime occurred, we have to prove a specific person did it, and we have to prove a specific victim suffered loss,” said Sergeant Brad Lemon of the Metro Patrol Division Property Crimes Section. “Right now, we can do two out of the three. We can’t do the last one.”

The mortgage crisis that began in 2008 continues to ripple through Kansas City. The Kansas City Star reported on April 19 that the city had about 12,000 vacant properties, up 20 percent since 2007. Many have been foreclosed on and are now owned by major national banks. Those banks are generally unwilling to prosecute when crimes occur on the homes in their portfolio.

“We have had zero successful prosecutions on bank-owned properties,” Sergeant Lemon said. “Burglaries have been out of control the last three years.”

Arsons also have been problematic. Kansas City recorded arsons at 103 vacant buildings in 2010. But a new ordinance could finally force criminals who prey on vacant properties to face jail time. The ordinance is under legal review right now but could come before the City Council soon. It would prohibit anyone from entering, damaging, or stealing from a vacant property.

“In essence, the City would be the victim,” Officer Cooley said.

Officer Cooley started pushing for the ordinance after riding along with Cleveland, Ohio, police during a vacant properties conference in October 2010. Cleveland officers said the problem had gotten so out of hand that thieves were causing explosions by stealing natural gas lines from vacant houses. The new ordinance allowed Cleveland to list the city as the victim of these crimes when no property owner could be contacted. Assistant Kansas City Prosecutor Beth Murano said no one has challenged Cleveland’s law.

Neighborhood leaders strongly support the new ordinance in Kansas City, Officer Cooley said.

“Community groups are excited about anything that can help,” he said. “… A lot of times, we catch these jokers, but when we can’t locate a victim, we simply have to let them go. With this, at least we have something to take them to jail for.”

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Employee struck at DUI checkpoint doing well

I am happy to report that Greg Sowers, the KCPD fleet operations technician who was hit at a DUI checkpoint last month, is recovering nicely. After a week in the hospital and several more weeks at home recuperating, he was able to meet with the media today to discuss his ordeal. He's getting around pretty well on crutches but faces up to a year before his leg will be completely healed. He suffered a major break in his tibia, effectively separating the lower part of his leg from the upper part just below the knee. After a surgery with a metal plate and 10 screws, doctors have told him he could eventually get more than 90 percent of the original usage of his leg back. Greg said he misses running, playing softball and riding his motorcycle, but he acknowledged he's only alive "by the grace of God."

Greg credited his motorcycle riding with playing a part in saving his life. He said he's laid a bike down a few times before - never with more than minor injuries - and knew how to take a fall. Still, nothing could prepare him for what he experienced in the early morning hours of June 11. A car intent on fleeing the checkpoint plowed through it and struck Greg. He said he tried to get out of the way, but the car seemed to be coming at him, and he hit the hood. He grabbed onto a windshield wiper as the vehicle hit another police car and then took off. At one point, Greg said he realized he still had his flashlight in his hand and dropped it to grab onto the other wiper. He said all he wanted was for the car to slow down enough to let him off.

He eventually knew the car wasn't slowing down, so he said he curled up in a ball so he could be prepared to roll off if it didn't stop. This obscured some of the driver's vision, and Greg remembers the driver whipping the car back and forth to shake him off. He eventually did at 82nd and Troost, six blocks from the checkpoint. Greg said he hit the ground on all fours. His leg had been broken on the initial impact with the car. Police found him on the road a minute or two later and got an ambulance there. Greg gave credit to the tough jacket he'd borrowed from a motorcycle officer earlier that night for saving him from road rash and worse injuries.

Greg is a resilient guy. He said he'd love to work more DUI checkpoints, but he's going to honor the wishes of his mother and girlfriend and not do so.

Because of this incident, we've changed some of our protocol at checkpoints. Civilian employees like Greg no longer will stand in the check lane. Only officers will drive cars of suspected drunk drivers off the roadway, which is what Greg had been doing that night. Officers also now are equipped with Stop Sticks at DUI checkpoints to deflate the tires of those who might flee and cause a danger to others.

Tyrone Campbell, 25, has been charged with hitting Greg. He's pictured below.

All of us here at KCPD are so grateful Greg made it through this ordeal, and we wish him a very speedy recovery and swift return to our Fleet Operations Unit!

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

"Murder Room" inspiration coming to lecture at Police Academy

If you've ever heard of the Vidocq Society, then you'll be pretty excited about an event coming to the Kansas City Regional Police Academy on July 20. If you haven't heard of it, I suspect you'll still find it very interesting. The group is profiled in the book, The Murder Room: The Heirs of Sherlock Holmes Gather to Solve the World's Most Perplexing Cold Cases by Michael Capuzzo. The book was published last fall and has been on multiple best-seller lists since.

The insipration for the book, Richard Walter, will be at the Police Academy (6885 N.E. Pleasant Valley Road) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 20 in an event co-sponsored by KCPD and Rainy Day Books. Walter is one of the three co-founders of the Vidocq Society and something of a genius in the realm of criminal psychology. As Michael Capuzzo puts it, "Richard Walter's nickname at ... Scotland Yard is 'Living Sherlock Holmes.'" He developed a number of psychological classifications for violent crime and interviewed 22,000 felons as a psychologist in Michigan's prison system. He's been called the "Father of Criminal Profiling."

This NPR story excerpts an interview with Walter and part of The Murder Room, and is just a taste of what you'll hear July 20. Tickets are $35 and will include a signed copy of the book. To get tickets, contact Angela McCune at 816-413-3500 or e-mail angela.mccune@kcpd.org.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Midwest Investigative Support Center named the best in the nation

On June 21, the Kansas City-based Midwest High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Investigative Support Center was named the top HIDTA in the nation by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, besting 26 other centers nationwide at an awards program in Washington, D.C.

Staffed by several KCPD members, Midwest HIDTA was recognized for providing critical intelligence linkages that support federal, state and local law enforcement officers. They supported 890 investigations in 2010, a 33 percent increase over the previous year. Several of these investigations were massive in scale, spreading across the United States and Mexico. These were organizations that dump literally tons of drugs into the Kansas City area and throughout the Midwest. The intelligence gathered and analyzed by the local Investigative Support Center led to the identity and arrest of key players in several of these drug-trafficking organizations and the seizure of thousands of pounds of narcotics.

Our Investigative Support Center also has helped law enforcement agencies nationwide who intercept drugs transported by traffickers share information with each other. This helps target the larger-scale national and international organizations that funnel in the drugs that can destroy urban neighborhoods.

Congratulations to Midwest HIDTA Investigative Support Center and the officers who work there, proving once again that some of the best cops in the United States are right here at KCPD.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Input sought for Chief selection process

I've previously announced that I will retire from the position of Chief of Police on Sept. 16 of this year. The Board of Police Commissioners will be hiring the next chief, and they need your input. Read the below press release to see which forums are closest to you.

The Kansas City Missouri Board of Police Commissioners will be soliciting input from the public about what qualities they would like to see in the next chief of police.

The Board invites the public to attend three meetings in the coming weeks to tell board members their ideas. The meetings will be from 7 to 9 p.m. on the following dates at the following locations:

• July 6, Wednesday – Hillcrest Community Center, 10401 Hillcrest Road
• July 7, Thursday – Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center, 3700 Blue Parkway
• July 11, Monday – Police Academy auditorium, 6885 N.E. Pleasant Valley Road